Happy Friday, Fort Lauderdale. In today’s edition: Affordable senior housing groundbreaking, a sensory-inclusive Frozen performance, the Winterfest Boat Parade, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Live Local Act milestone: McDowell Housing Partners and Miami Jewish Health broke ground on Ekos Pembroke Park, a $64.68 million, 150-unit affordable senior community in Pembroke Park, expected to be completed by summer 2027 — get all the details.

Ansin family marks milestone: Sunbeam Television advanced its Broward move, holding a tilt-up ceremony in Miramar for a 70,108-square-foot, hurricane-hardened studio headquarters. WSVN and ABC 18 expect to be operational by January 2027 — read the full story.

Two middle schools spared: On Monday, Superintendent Howard Hepburn unveiled a plan to close and consolidate seven Broward schools amid falling enrollment and announced a hiring freeze, with the board voting in January — read the full story.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Experience The Nutcracker by candlelight
• Taste Latin America at Sazon Fort Lauderdale
• Join PAW Patrol rescue adventures at MODS
• Shop handmade finds at Marina Village
• Explore Stranahan House’s Victorian Christmas tours
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%
• A tiny hearing aid is taking the US by storm

🫶 We got your back

Music, stories, and cheer: Broward’s AARLCC hosts Soulful Christmas, a two-day, free celebration turning the library into a tropical winter wonderland. Expect a Friday night concert by Hued Songs blending music and storytelling, then a Saturday Community Day with workshops and performances. The festivities honor Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk community and bring families together. Get all the details.

Pets ready for families: Broward County Animal Care has teamed with the Bissell Pet Foundation for “Empty the Shelters: Holiday Hope,” offering free dog and cat adoptions through Dec. 15 as kennels overflow. The $25 county registration still applies. Adoptions run daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale, with pets vaccinated, fixed, and microchipped. See how and when to adopt.

Treat your hair right: If your roots are plotting a mutiny or curls need diplomacy, Salon Nirvana 954 uses organic, cruelty-free products with thoughtful techniques. Think AirTouch color, Magic Sleek smoothing, and extension wizardry… so your hair looks fresh minus the chemical hangover.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy for regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify who you are and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🎭 Masquerade Holiday Event Party @ Blue Martini Lounge | Friday (12/12) at 7:00pm – Holiday season in South Florida means swapping flip-flops for fancy masks, and this masquerade nails it. Mingle with grownups who actually follow up, sip something festive, and do some good for Toys for Tots and upstart NYSAB.org. Business cards, real smiles, zero small talk.

🎻 Vienna Light Orchestra Christmas Tour 2025 @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts | Friday (12/12) at 7:00pm – Holiday sparkle calls for strings, sopranos, and zero inflatable snowmen. Vienna Light Orchestra rolls in with lush arrangements of White Christmas, O Holy Night, Ave Maria, and more, giving you goosebumps and excuses to hold hands. Bring family, soak in nostalgia, leave humming.

This weekend

🎭 Sensory-Inclusive Performance @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts | Saturday (12/13) at 1:30pm – Take a break from the usual chaos and bring the crew to a sensory-inclusive Frozen, with softened sound, no strobes, and a staffed quiet room. Pre-show crafts, post-show character meet and greet, and a booking process that needs a special link, because Arendelle loves RSVP.

🚢 Winterfest Boat Parade @ Bokamper’s Sports Bar & Grill | Saturday (12/13) at 6:00pm – Whether you’ve watched from a balcony or sat in bridge traffic, here’s the comfy way to do Winterfest. Reserve a premium seat from $140 at Bokamper’s on the Intracoastal for prime views of boats, lights, music, fireworks, and a four-course feast, no sea legs required.

🎤 Trisha Yearwood with Symphony @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts | Saturday (12/13) at 8:00pm – Trade the mall madness for actual holiday magic. Trisha Yearwood, a full symphony, and those goosebump harmonies deliver Christmas cheer with grown-up polish, not tinsel overload. Dress nice, sip something festive, and hum along without judgment.

🌅 Beach Yoga @ Bonnet Beach | Sunday (12/14) at 9:00am – Wake up with a warm ocean breeze and a slow, stretchy flow that feels like a hug for your whole body. Expect guided poses, blissful breathwork, and that “I can actually function today” kind of clarity. Stay after class to float, splash, or melt happily into the sand.

⛄ A ‘Frozen’ Family Celebration @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts | Sunday (12/14) at 12:00pm – Holiday chaos calls for a family outing you can enjoy. Hit a festive brunch with crafts, frosty photo ops, and a DJ dance party, then catch Slow Burn Theatre’s matinee of Disney’s Frozen at the Broward Center. It’s a splurge, but it benefits arts education.

😇 The Guardians of Christmas @ Savor Cinema | Sunday (12/14) at 1:00pm – An imaginative play throws Saint Nicholas, Santa, and an ancient Winter Spirit into a Ukrainian holiday custody battle after a kid wishes Christmas would stop. Traditions vanish, the city sulks, and our magic-makers go mortal to fix the mess, with humor, heart, and bite.

Next week

🏠 Victorian Christmas Tours @ Historic Stranahan House Museum | Tuesday (12/16) at 5:10pm – Step into Stranahan House for Victorian Christmas tours, with festive docents, a 1900s piano, and how our holiday traditions began. Tiny groups of six, no jostling. $30 general, $25 members, and your ticket keeps this time capsule thriving. Bonus, Water Taxi lights pair nicely.

🌳 Bonsai Bar Workshop @ The Funky Buddha Brewery | Tuesday (12/16) at 7:00pm – This hands-on bonsai workshop sets up shop at your favorite bar, teaching you to pot, prune, and keep a tiny tree alive longer than last week’s cilantro. Sip, snip, repeat, with friendly instructors, zero judgment, and plenty of laughs. Way better than trivia.

🎭 Les Miserables @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts | Tuesday (12/16) at 7:30pm – Grab your tissues and your concert voice, Les Misérables is back with that thunderous score and a rebellion’s worth of feels. Epic storytelling, soaring voices, one intermission to refill the cabernet, and all the hits, including I Dreamed a Dream and One Day More.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/12 Basstripper @ Kemistry – 10 pm
• 12/13 Lady Faith @ Kemistry – 10 pm
• 12/18 Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts – 7:30 pm
• 12/19 Perpetual Groove @ Culture Room – 7:30 pm
• 12/19 An A Cappella Holiday Concert @ Sunshine Cathedral MCC – 7:30 pm
• 12/20 Christmas Concert @ Unity of Fort Lauderdale – 7 pm
• 12/20 Laura Goodstone @ Voodoo Bayou – 9 pm
• 12/21 Broward Women’s Chorus @ Center for Spiritual Living – 4 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Fort Lauderdale edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Domingos Carlos PA (Douglas Elliman)

100 feet of dockage on a deep canal with unrestricted ocean access, plus a 35,000 lb lift, is a private marina in Coral Ridge. Inside, 4 beds and 3.5 baths center on a dramatic great room with water views and dining. The chef’s kitchen packs Viking appliances, ADORNUS cabinetry, and Cambria quartz. Spa baths flaunt Greek marble, Cristallo quartzite, and a Jack and Jill.

New barrel tile roof, marble pavers, lush landscaping, and impact protection boost curb appeal and calm. A climate-controlled epoxy-floor garage and whole-house generator handle toys and storms. Beaches, shops, dining, and schools minutes away.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →